Tesla Model Y 19 inch vs 21 inch wheels

Hi all 1st post. Planning to buy new Tesla Model S Performance soon. No where near a dealer so I am seeking any members experience or input on Ride & Performance difference between 19" & 21"tires. I like the looks of the 21" (not cost ) but from my experience on GM vehicles is that the 22" wheel & tires ride much harder than the 18" or 20" wheel & tires. Also the 18" seem to perform better on acceleration etc... Also notice some mileage difference in specs on Model S performance.

Thank you for any input.

M

Do a quick search for more details and lots of discussion but, summary: get 19's for day-to-day livability, tires options, efficiency and cost.

Be reading lots of threads. Seems most folks say go with 19". I wish I liked the looks of 19" wheels. Debating getting stock 19" and going with aftermarket 19" or 20" wheels & tires. Fitment has me worried some. Staggered or not etc...

Thank you

M

The cost of winter tires on the 21s was enough for me to invest in a set of 19s as well. I was able to purchase used wheels, tires, tmps sensors and get them mounted/balanced for less than the cost of 4 21" winter tires. And now I can go from summer to winter and back by myself.

The car looks excellent with 21s- they are the narcissistic choice. The grip is slightly improved and therefor overall performance. The 19s are the logical choice. Lower overall TCO without question. Less expensive tires, less likely that a rim will crack and need to be replaced, and improved efficiency over 21s.

I hear you on not being in love with the 19" wheels. I did some research on 1:1 alternatives - there are a few, and if you get handy with spacers and such your options open a bit further still.

That is helpful. Thank You !!

M

Need some advice here. The plan is now to order 19" wheels on our new Tesla. We plan to put on 19" or 20" TSS or TST Space Gray wheels. Then probably sell the 19" Tesla Wheels.

Questions:
1) Looking for the smoothest ride. Any thoughts on 19" vs 20" TSS Wheels? Any recommendations on which tires. Live in Florida.
2) Should we order the Tempest Silver ($0) or the Slip Stream black/gray wheels (+$1500)? Probably would sell unless there is a valid reason to keep such as warranty etc... Thoughts?
3) Should I consider staggered wheels? Are stock 19" staggered?
4) Any other thoughts or advice? Lessons learned?

Thank you !!

M

Are you aware the aerodynamics of the stock wheel are part of range? Aftermarket, or even spacers to push the wheels out will hurt range.
I am not saying don't do it just making sure you are informed.
19" will be the best ride, sidewall is part of the suspension.
I don't believe any of the 19s were staggered.

Thank you for the reply. I thought about range but have not found any specs except 19vs21 on tesla configuration page. The reason I am looking at TSS or TST is they stated no spacers or suspension mods (eg.. bolt on). If I was to sell would 19" Tempist or Slipstream be easier ?

Again TY for the reply. Buying a Tesla is a little overwhelming.

M

I'd think Tempests would be easier to sell right now because they are new. The market is full of slipstreams already.

As others have said, 19s will offer the smoothest ride. The lighter the wheel, the better the ride, and often the same with tires - lighter tires will often feel better still. I have MXM4s on my 19" cyclones and the ride is good, even with + suspension. That said, my sample size for MS tires is 1. I am actually planning to upgrade to Pilot Sport A/S 3+ tires when these wear out. I feel I could use a little more grip and better braking than the MXM4s give me.

I would not expect the range to be different with the TSS wheels. In fact, it may improve as they are lighter than stock. If there is any change, I cannot see it being more than 1 or 2%.

With a big purchase, it is important to do your research. Not many people can fling around tens of thousands of dollars like it's nothing!

You will find folks talk up lighter wheels and range BUT since EVs use regenerative braking much of the energy used to accelerate the extra mass of heavy wheels is recover with Regen, and this only really matters in stop and go driving, probably near home so range isn't a concern but if efficiency is your goal maybe you try it. On the highway since you aren't accelerating often there is little potential to save energy and aerodynamics of the wheel are more important. That is why Tesla makes aero wheels but doesn't offer a high dollar low weight forged efficiency rim because it isn't effective.
Lighter rims can help handling if pushing the car hard and help friction brakes, not saying they are bad just saying people here grossly oversell them.

TIRES are the biggest factor in efficiency and range when talking rims and tires and despite what many say here the tire is the primary culprit in the 19-21" efficiency drop. The 21" tires are more performance oriented and have higher rolling resistance.

Are Tempest wheels hub caps? Man the only reason I have not placed my order yet is I can't order a vehicle without wheels I do not like any options of 19" and don't want to deal with the problems the 21" bring to the table...

M

PS - Well I thought TST & TSS were going to work for me. Then I found out that the TST DOES NOT come in 19". And worst yet I googled Flow Forged...

Ok I guess I am back to 19" Slip Stream. My wife said, and I quote, "we are not buying a $110,000 car with ^#%*^ hub caps". I also noticed that Slip Stream wheels are sold out in the Tesla store.

M

honestly, the range delta is not that much....
when I had my 19's on 245s I averaged 370wh/m
with aftermarket 21's on 255's and 285's, I average 380 wh/m

Ok I guess I am back to 19" Slip Stream. My wife said, and I quote, "we are not buying a $110,000 car with ^#%*^ hub caps". I also noticed that Slip Stream wheels are sold out in the Tesla store.

M

u can pick them up pretty cheap on CL, eBay or TMC.

19" all day every day. /thread

I went with the 19" Arachnid replicas from Tsportline and love them. If you decide to go that route send me a private message and I have a referral code that will save you $50 off of a set of wheels.

Any recommendation on tires for Florida driving?

Also anyone have an idea of what a set of 19" slip stream pulls (wheels and tires) from a new Tesla will bring on the market?

M

Any recommendation on tires for Florida driving?

Also anyone have an idea of what a set of 19" slip stream pulls (wheels and tires) from a new Tesla will bring on the market?

M

$1,000-$1,500 from what I've seen. Less for quick sale and more if you're not in a hurry.

Advantages of 19" wheels:
- All things being equal, they are more efficient than 21" wheels
- They have more sidewall to cushion the rims against potholes and other road hazards, so are by far the better choice for poor road conditions
- The wheels themselves and tires are cheaper
- An argument can be made that they confer better performance/acceleration because of decreased unsprung mass
- Generally quieter

Advantages of 21" wheels:
- Appearance
- Appearance
- Appearance pretty much only
- An argument can be made that they confer better handling characteristics (exclusively in racing/high-performance driving) because of decreased aspect ratio/sidewall and less sidewall flex at the extremes of traction encountered only by high-level racing/autocross
- Generally much better selection of ultra high performance or racing tires for the Model S total wheel/tire diameter (not specific to 21" wheels, just to 21" wheels on the Model S specifically)

Staggered wheels:
- Theoretical increased traction on the higher-torque rear motor in performance Model S due to larger contact patch
- Has repeatedly not been proven to make a difference in 0-60 or 1/2 mile times with P100D
- Rear wheels have greater mass
- Not able to rotate tires
- Arachnids are only offered new from Tesla in staggered (many anecdotes of people swapping the rear 9" wide Arachnids for matching 8.5" wheels for a "square" setup of 4 identical Arachnids... I'm thinking about doing this with mine)

The main reason that 21" wheels are less efficient than 19" is because of increased unsprung weight with the 21s - just more mass to move and more rotational inertia to pour energy into moving. This can be mostly overcome if you get 21" wheels that are lighter - for example, expensive forged 21s will be lighter and more efficient than cheaper, heavy, cast 19s. The contact patch of the tires is only a minimal factor as it's minimally different between 19s and 21s. Of course, even though Tesla doesn't offer lightweight 19" wheels, multiple expensive aftermarket forged options available which would be lighter than any 21.

I agree with @Ostrichsak that the TSportline 19 inch wheels look great and negate most of the benefit of getting 21s (appearance: those turbines and arachnids are HOTT!). I would recommend to most people to just go with 19s, always. I have 21s with stickier tires and smaller sidewall only for the summer to autocross my whale of a Model S.

I also agree with @beatle that MXM4s on 19" Cyclones yield a pretty good ride even on a Plus suspension. There, N = 2.

Thank you Rogue for taking the time to respond. Great info.

So unless I plan on keeping SlipStream 19" not worth the $1500 upgrade since I am only getting $1000 for them brand new with tires?

M

After that wonderful summation by Rogue, I feel my comments will be rather simple. On my second model S and sixth set of wheels. My new to me P85D got the staggered Arachnids immediately, and I loved the look, but felt very weighted down. Also rubbed in reverse at full steer.

I decided to invest in the Signature Wheel SV104 and save 12-15 pounds per wheel/tire combo. These will be my last set of wheels ; love the look and the light on the feet feel. They have to be more efficient.

great thread, by the way!View attachment 514104View attachment 514104